NATIONAL: Sacha Laing has revealed he has a 60-year legacy to uphold as he moves into the role of group general manager for fashion and beauty at David Jones.
Laing will take up the role next year, when current executive for apparel, accessories, footwear and cosmetics Colette Garnsey departs for Pacific Brands. Laing revealed his association with the company was steeped in family history.
“My grandmother worked as a dressmaker for the David Jones factory back in the ‘50s and ‘60s for over a decade,” he told Ragtrader. “My mother also worked there as a seamstress for a number of years and my wife was a frontline sales assistant during the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s an important legacy for me to carry on.”
Prior to joining the department store as a womenswear merchandise planner in January 2000, Laing worked with Kodak retail for seven years before moving on to snackfood giant Smiths, where he was promoted from business analyst to sales operations manager for New South Wales and Queensland.
“I think that certainly in a product sense, I came from a different background but the principles of discipline and good inventory, relationship and brand management equally apply,” he said.
Since starting in his first position at David Jones 10 years ago, Laing has worked as a group planning manager for womenswear and buying manager for women’s fashion and accessories. He has occupied the role of general manager for footwear, women’s accessories and childrenswear since January 2004.
In a statement announcing his promotion, the listed company said Laing was directly responsible for all supplier renegotiations across these categories in 2007/08. Laing told Ragtrader this represented around 25 per cent of all discussions across the store’s 2700 vendors.
He declined to reveal specific terms handed down to fashion brands, but David Jones has credited this broader strategy for underpinning gross profit margin growth of nearly 100 basis points over the past four years.
“It was certainly a busy period of time, but what it’s left us with is a very transparent, very well structured and sustainable position in terms of our supplier terms with our vendor base,” Laing said. “It states exactly what they are trading with and what the future looks like.”
Laing and his team were also central in pushing key brand acquisitions such as Ninewest footwear; accessories brands Michael Kors, Chanel eyewear, Miu Miu, Coach and Longines; and exclusive partnerships with Australian heavyweights Mimco and Oroton.
However, it is understood the most significant change under Laing was an overhaul of the childrenswear department, commencing in 2004. Over 100 branded installations have since rolled out with key partners including Fred Bare and more recently Roxy and Quicksilver.
“As is the case in most department stores around the world, childrenswear is very much the end-use or has been an end-use type business, typically grouped by age or ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ wear,” he said. “Today we present our kidswear offer in a completely branded environment which is how our customers enjoy shopping.”
Laing stressed there will be no major changes in strategy when he begins his new role next year, with the acquisition of new and exclusive brands remaining central. He said negotiations were currently underway for future brands, but declined to reveal details.
“The company strategy doesn’t change with new management in place,” he said. “Our corporate strategy remains the same, to be the house of brands bringing the best international and national brands to the market.”
Assia Benmedjdoub